Hawk Wargames has done something very cool, which should not really be much of a surprise as they are becoming experts at this in the industry. The release of new command vehicles is for each of the factions a very cool addition to the game. It opens up a new world of opportunity and tactics in an area that otherwise felt very limited a short time ago.
Now I have been digging deeper into the armies of the game, and there are some unique opportunities within certain factions that are just not available elsewhere in standard games. While large games (battles at 2000pts and above) allow for multiple command units, there are two armies that can do this at a lower size game. These two armies now have the ability to field powerful command units, not only as command, but as powerful weapons on the tabletop.
http://www.hawkwargames.com/pages/dropzone-commander
The Scourge
The Oppressor is a devastating machine that works well with not only a fast moving skimmer army, but with a spider bot list as well. Its fast, and can move up to 8" and comes with a great amount of weaponry that in a Scourge list is considered long range.
With the Oppressor coming in at 145pts, there is no reason if you are not going with Desolators, to take two. Five damage points, and great firepower and heavy armor, these guys can hold their own on the tabletop.
Desolators are a strong unit, and now that they can score on focal points, they work great in pairs. Before the rules updates they could not score on focal points, and this was their biggest drawback. A single Desolator could sometimes alter the game drastically with its large blast and cards to back it up. Now this old older command aircraft has been given new life, and with it, has become one of the few command units that when working in pairs can wreck some serious havoc against opponents and clear large areas of the board.
The Resistance
The M3 Alexander is a beast of a tank. Fielded in pairs, these guys can wreck some serious damage on heavy tanks or tear down buildings from a distance. The primary gun is equalizer cannon. This has an accuracy of 2+ is E12 and with an 18" range that can be modified downward. With such a high strength shot it also comes with Devastator-2, and Demolisher-3. This can tear apart some damage from larger walkers like a PHR Hades, or Shaltari Walker with ease.
These guys are the ultimate in hard fighting tank battles, and fielding a second one for 135pts is a cost efficient use of your hard earned points in a clash battle.
Dont forget that it also comes with a short range large blast E10 L-1 shot. When things get heated and close, two of these right after each other, will clear an area relatively fast.
The NT-5 Thunderstorm is a massive hovercraft with the highest point cost of any of the clash sized games dual commander types. It comes in at 185pts, but is fearsome with its firepower. 4 looted plasma cannons are just simply amazing. 18" E12 shots that hit on a 2+ with a MF of 6".
The cost is the most prohibitive on the Thunderstorm, so putting in two is a serious investment, but with 9 dps, it should survive enough to provide some serious anti-tank firepower on the ground.
In clash sized games, it may not be possible to really field the Warlord's Retinue of 12 additional rocket technicals with E+2. Its an additional 204pts, and if you are fielding two thunderstorms in a 1500pt game, it will be quite challenging to to add in a retinue.
Dual Commanders in 1500pt Clash Games
Dual Commander options are a treat in both Scourge and Resistance armies. They give you the ability to really dig in with some powerful options on the tabletop, and in many cases a very viable way of fielding a 1500pt clash list.